S-3934.1

SENATE BILL 6176

BySenators Wagoner, McCune, Short, and J. Wilson

AN ACT Relating to addressing payments received due to a state enforcement action; and adding a new section to chapter 43.79 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.79 RCW to read as follows:

When issuing payments to injured parties, claimants, or other members of the public as a result of funds awarded by a court to the state or allocated in a settlement, due to a regulatory or civil enforcement action to which the state is a party:

(1) Payments may only be made to compensate injured parties or claimants, or in the case of actions where injured parties are considered a class with no specific claimants, and multiple payments may be issued, the payments must be issued as grants to appropriate nonprofit organizations supporting disadvantaged parties injured under the enforcement action; and

(2) Payments may only be addressed as from the name of the state agency or the administrator of the payments. In any case, a payment as described under this section, including the envelope, any enclosed communication, the check or other payment remittance, may not include the name of any elected official.

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